Cold Winter Sun – Tony J. Forder

3rd November 2018/

His ex-wife implores Mike to find her nephew who has gone missing without a trail. But what if the track leads them to Roswell of all places? What if conspiracy theories and murderous thugs get in the way? What if the man they want to bring home is in lethal danger?

Storyline

A Mike Lynch Thriller 2

The prologue opens with a gruesome scene: a man is being tortured. We fear for his life. In Chapter one, we meet Mike. Something happened 18 months ago. Something that made him retreat into the wilderness to.. what? Do not say find himself because he would laugh in your face. Despite being in the middle of nowhere, he has his phone with him. His daughter, Wendy, might need him. When the phone rings, Mike is surprised Donna, his ex-wife, is on the line. Her husband’s nephew, Vern, supposedly on holiday in Las Vegas, has gone missing without a trail…

In her despair, Donna called the one man she knew would be capable of finding Vern: Mike Lynch, former Marine. With his friend, Terry, Mike goes investigating. It doesn’t take long for them to be over their heads into hostile environments, conspiracy theories (they are heading for Roswell!) and dangerous situations. We dread to think of what will happen when others find Vern first… With no idea as to why Vern disappeared and no leads to follow, with dangerous criminals as well as a stubborn sheriff following their every move, will Mike and Terry find Vern before it is too late?

My Thoughts

A gripping mystery thriller that keeps you wondering what the hell is going on! Not only did once a UFO disappear from the radar, now it’s Vern’s turn (yep had to make this joke!). I must admit that the opening scene was pretty gruesome and made me thankful I hadn’t eaten yet – nor that it was late at night when I started the book as this is definitely not an image you want to go to sleep with! This was my introduction to Mike and Terry and yes, although you can read this thriller as a standalone, I feel I missed out a bit of the background which is mentioned in the first chapters.

Cold Winter Sun is an intriguing thriller that at times slows down a bit when diving into the thoughts of Mike as he explains his behaviour or others’ perceptions of it. There are many characters which also makes it difficult at times to remember who is who but that’s also what makes this novel so interesting. I loved the friendship between Mike and Terry, the obvious love Mike feels for his daughter, but also for his ex-wife. In the end, I learned something about a character that made me pretty angry – can’t say who it is and why – but if this series continues, might I suggest this character having a nasty accident? Or perhaps getting murdered?! #Justsaying…

My favourite character in the book is… the sheriff. I loved him. He’s a bit grumpy and yet a kind soul, keen not to use his weapon but at the same time, not afraid to take on anyone who defies him or who is on the wrong side of the law. Yep. He’s the guy you need on your side! The many characters, the Roswell references, and the search for Vern, which makes you investigate alongside Mike and Terry, all this combined makes this captivating thriller a heck of a read! Be sure to start it in the afternoon or early in the evening because, like me, you’ll want to finish it in one sitting!

About the Author

Tony J. Forder is the author of the critically acclaimed, best-selling crime thriller series featuring detectives Jimmy Bliss and Penny Chandler. The first three books, Bad to the Bone, The Scent of Guilt, and If Fear Wins will be joined by a fourth in the series in 2019.

Tony’s dark, psychological crime thriller, Degrees of Darkness, featuring ex-detective Frank Rogers, was also published by Bloodhound Books. This is a stand-alone novel. Another book that was written as a stand-alone was Scream Blue Murder. This was published in November 2017 and received praise from many, including fellow authors Mason Cross, Matt Hilton and Anita Waller. Before it had even been published, Tony had decided to write a sequel, and Cold Winter Sun is just that.

Tony lives with his wife in Peterborough, UK, and is now a full-time author.